


The Hitchhiker's Guide to Earth

by Nimflora, pikaace



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Adventure, Alien Technology, Alien!Squip, Drabble Collection, Exploration, Friendship, Gen, Good!Squip, One Shot Collection, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sequel, Telepathic Bond, World Travel, but if you've read the last story you already knew that, whatever you wanna call it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 19:30:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13981791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nimflora/pseuds/Nimflora, https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikaace/pseuds/pikaace
Summary: Sequel/Spin-off to 'It's From the Stars'Earth is a large planet, full of many strange and interesting things. So many things that a particular alien will need some help to gather all the available information; specifically the help of three teenagers and their friends.





	The Hitchhiker's Guide to Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back. What, you didn’t think we were done, did you?
> 
> Chapter summary: One year has passed; Jeremy gets a headache.

It had been a year. One year since Jeremy thought he heard a strange noise outside in his toolshed. One year since he rescued a man from outer space who Michael named Squip. One year since they escaped from government men who wanted to experiment on their new friend. One year...since he left.

The hum in Jeremy’s head that he had felt when Squip left was now nothing but a light static. Jeremy couldn’t feel or hear Squip at all. Sometimes if he concentrated hard enough he thought he could make out a word or two. But for the most part, there was nothing. Nothing but white noise. And over the months, as white noise does, it faded from Jeremy’s attention until he was almost entirely deaf to it. He had almost hoped that barely noticing it would help, but the connection was still strong, and not having Squip there...it hurt.

Michael and Christine stared at Jeremy from their seats in the classroom, exchanging worried glances. Ever since Squip had left, Jeremy seemed sadder with every passing day. They could understand to an extent; they missed Squip too, missed him every day. But Jeremy was different; he and Squip were closer than, well, no one could describe it. They had a special, unbreakable bond in every sense of the word, and them being separated was taking its toll on Jeremy in the worst way. Jeremy tried to stay positive; he still hung out with them and the rest of their friends. But something about it just felt...off. Like a slightly out of tune key on a piano; it was barely noticeable...but it was there.

The bell finally rang to mark the end of the day and Michael and Christine hurried up to Jeremy as they walked into the hallway. Jeremy gave them both small glances and a smile, but then resumed his gaze on the floor.

“How you doing, Jeremy?” Christine asked.

“Okay, I guess,” Jeremy shrugged. Michael and Christine exchanged another worried look. That had been his answer for almost two weeks when they usually varied. They made it outside of the school building and sat on the curb in the parking lot near Michael’s car.

“Do you need to talk about anything?” Christine asked. It had almost become routine for either of them to get Jeremy to talk out his feelings rather than bottling them up. Having that strained mind link could have some bad results if Jeremy left his emotions unchecked.

Jeremy clenched his fists and bit his lip. “I...I just miss him,” he said softly. “I miss him so much…”

Christine nodded in understanding and leaned against his shoulder. “I know,” she said sadly. “We all do.” They sat in silence for a while, watching the cars and buses leave the school.

“Forest tonight?” Michael asked gently, patting Jeremy’s shoulder. Jeremy nodded, and smiled gratefully.

Since Squip had made his retreat, Jeremy had, at least twice a week, hiked through Middleborough Forest to the distress signal they had built during Squip’s stay on Earth. There he’d watch for any incoming transmissions from his friend, and when inevitably none came, Michael or Christine would walk him home. It was a ritual Jeremy refused to abandon no matter how long the signal stayed silent.

Michael drove to Jeremy’s house and they all went inside, greeting Mr. Heere as they entered. Thankfully, Jeremy had been able to keep a facade up around his dad, saving them from explaining all they went through while he was away. According to him, these forest rituals were part of a semester long group project between the three of them for school that involved watching the stars. It was flimsy, but Mr. Heere seemed fine with it as long as they didn’t stay out too late in the forest.

The trio spent the rest of the day in the basement, playing video games and occasionally doing homework until dinner time. Once they ate, the sun had nearly set, allowing the stars to start coming out.

“Ready?” Michael asked Jeremy.

“Yeah,” Jeremy answered, and they headed out. They hiked up the familiar path that was becoming more and more refined and visible thanks to their multiple treks. They eventually reached the familiar clearing where the signal was still sitting on its boulder, undisturbed and disguised. Michael and Jeremy took away the branches and leaves while Christine took out the blanket that they sat on, spreading it in front of a large tree near the signal. After that, they all sat down, and waited.

The night slowly wore on, and the three friends sat patiently on their blanket, their eyes on the stars above them. Jeremy watched the mostly intently out of the three of them, glancing at the signal every now and then to see if it would move.

Michael rubbed his back with a sad smile. “Don’t worry, Jer, maybe he’s just out of range,” he tried. Jeremy gave him a half-hearted smile; he appreciated his friends being there and trying to help him feel better. They stayed out until it was nearly eleven, and if it wasn’t a school night they would’ve stayed out later.

“C’mon, we should head back,” Christine said, getting up. Jeremy sighed and slowly got up, disappointment in both his gaze and his posture. Christine folded up the blanket while Michael and Jeremy disguised the signal once more. Michael and Christine walked Jeremy home, said goodnight, and headed for their own homes. Jeremy trudged upstairs and slowly got ready for bed. As he lay in bed, he stared out his window and the sky, the white noise in his head still monotonous and almost silent.

* * *

 

The next morning, Jeremy got himself out of bed. As he got dressed, his gaze lingered on his closet for a moment, as if expecting Squip to walk out. Jeremy shook his head, the white noise coming back and finished getting ready.

School started and began to slog by as usual, Jeremy leaning on his desk as his teacher droned. However, as as the lecture went on, Jeremy found it a bit harder to hear as the minutes ticked by. It felt like the teacher’s voice was slowly being muted by...static. Jeremy frowned at his desk; what was the noise doing back?

The static got louder...louder...louder… Jeremy shook his head when he felt and heard a ‘Pop!’ Jeremy blinked and sat up straight. He felt like someone had just smacked him upside the head.

“Is there a problem, Mr. Heere?” the teacher asked.

“Uh...no,” Jeremy answered, rubbing his head. “I think...my ears just popped or something.” With no other excuse forthcoming, the teacher left it at that and went back to the lesson. Jeremy frowned in confusion; that static was gone. Now it was just a gentle hum that he could barely hear. What did that mean?

The school day came and went, but the static didn’t come back. The hum was still there. As he and his two friends drove to Jeremy’s house in Michael’s car, the hum seemed to get louder. It wasn’t until Michael pulled into the driveway that the hum was so loud that it was making Jeremy visibly wince in pain.

“You okay, Jer?” Michael asked in concern.

“I don’t know,” Jeremy said with a pained hiss. “Just...have a really bad headache.”

“Mind link troubles?” Christine asked worriedly. Without an answer, Jeremy only shrugged. It wasn’t like when Squip was being experimented on. (an event that still gave him the occasional nightmare) This was different. It felt like stretching a muscle that hadn’t been used in years. The headache persisted throughout the day and it just seemed to get worse as time went by. Not so bad that it incapacitated him, but bad enough to make Michael and Christine more concerned than they already were.

When dinner was over, Michael and Christine were ready to head out, promising they would do their night watch with him tomorrow, when Jeremy held his head, letting out an audible cry of pain. Jeremy massaged his temples, the hum nearly deafening, his skull nearly vibrating with the force of it. Michael and Christine helped Jeremy sit down, sitting on either side of him as Jeremy tried to comprehend what was going on. The hum was starting to feel warm and...familiar. Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on the noise, when one single word made it through the wall of noise.

_“Jeremy…”_

Jeremy’s eyes snapped open and he sat up straight, the pain still there, but forgotten. He faintly heard Michael and Christine speaking next to him, asking if something was wrong. The answer finally slammed into Jeremy like a train.

“Squip…” Jeremy shot to his feet and bolted for the backdoor, faintly hearing Michael and Christine giving chase. Jeremy made a beeline for the fence, slamming the gate open and sprinting up the path. How could he have not realized it earlier? How could he have been so stupid?! All that waiting and he hadn’t even recognized it! Jeremy ran faster than he ever thought possible up the path, the hum in his head getting even louder, until he finally reached the designated area.

Jeremy skidded to a halt and choked on his breath as hope filled his heart at the sight; a large blue ship was sitting in the clearing, right in front of the signal. It wasn’t as big as the one that Squip had left in, but it looked big enough to hold a decent number of people inside. The door was opening slowly, and a figure in a long black coat was standing in the entryway. Familiar glowing eyes were intent on something Jeremy couldn’t see from his angle; pale hands tapped at what must have been some sort of keypad on the inside wall near the now fully-open automated door. A ramp slid out and the figure began walking down towards the ground. Jeremy felt his eyes fill with tears as the buzz in his head got even louder, filling him with a familiar presence that he had been longing to feel for so long. His mind switched to autopilot and he wordlessly began to run forward.

* * *

 

Squip never thought he would ever be happy to see a particular planet again. But then again, his time on Earth had changed him quite drastically, especially compared to his fellow Intel Processors. Squip tapped the finishing numbers on the keypad, getting the cloaking mechanism ready, when he felt a strong pulse in his head, from a connection that had been useless for quite some time. He felt a surge of his own happiness as well, at the prospect of finally seeing his friend again. Squip walked down the ramp and finally looked up and outside, immediately noticing Jeremy sprinting towards him, and smiled.

“Jere--!”

He was cut off with a grunt as Jeremy barreled into him, knocking him right off his feet. Squip’s back hit the landing ramp, but Jeremy didn’t let go. His head was immediately bombarded with waves upon waves of mind-numbing joy and excitement, almost too fast for even his quantum processors to handle. Jeremy’s face was buried in his shoulder, and despite the cacophony of noise coming from his brain, Squip returned the hug in earnest. Jeremy’s reaction was only logical; Squip had been gone for a long time. He had missed him, and Squip had missed him in turn.

“Hello, Jeremy,” he said warmly. “It’s good to see you too.” Jeremy didn’t respond and nuzzled further into him, with no clear intention of letting go. Squip chuckled and gently stroked Jeremy’s hair, closing his eyes in contentment; he wouldn’t mind staying like this for a little while longer.

* * *

 

Michael and Christine huffed and puffed as they ran up the path. Despite how many times they had hiked through the forest with him, it was still exhausting. And Jeremy was clearly on some kind of adrenaline rush, because he was nowhere in sight, having run completely ahead.

“Was he always this athletic?” Christine gasped, hunching in on herself and resting her hands on her knees.

“Never,” Michael responded with a cough. “It’s actually kinda concerning.” They eventually reached the clearing and stared in disbelief at what they saw. The large ship was sitting patiently on the ground, and nearby, Jeremy was latched onto a man that radiated the faintest blue glow under the starlight as they walked down the landing ramp. It wasn’t until the two stopped at the bottom of the ramp and hugged again that they finally realized what was happening.

“No fucking way…” Michael breathed.

Christine’s eyes glassed over. “Squip!” she cried. Jeremy and Squip looked up to see them, and Jeremy’s beaming face was all the confirmation they needed. Christine ran forward, Michael right behind her, and Jeremy stepped back just in time before they barreled into Squip. Surprisingly, the alien was able to stay on his feet this time, having braced himself for the attack.

“Hello, Michael,” he greeted. “Hello, Christine.”

“You’re back!” Michael exclaimed, as though trying to convince himself. “You’re really back!”

“I knew you’d come back, I knew it!” Christine cheered. “We missed you so much!” Jeremy’s smile was still on his face and he stepped forward, joining the hug as Michael opened his arms to let him in. Squip was certain that he had seen and felt the extent of human affection during his time stranded here, but he was very wrong. It seemed that human emotions were far more powerful than he remembered.

“I missed you too,” Squip said. The group hug lingered for a good while before they finally parted, the three teens’ faces still bright with happiness. It was then that Squip looked at Jeremy, taking in his slightly haggard appearance. “You seem quite tired, Jeremy; is there a reason for this?” Concern laced his voice. Jeremy’s face fell slightly and he didn’t respond.

“It’s...been a long year,” Christine answered for him.

“And apparently having a mind link with someone can really make you miss them,” Michael answered with a shrug. Jeremy looked away, confirming his statement and also feeling a bit sheepish.

Squip’s face became a bit guilty. “I apologize that I didn’t come sooner,” he said sincerely. “My superiors were very curious about how I survived while stranded, and there were many delays and obstacles in getting myself and my ship ready for departure.”

Christine shrugged. “Well, all that matters is that you’re back now,” she said.

“Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but, why are you back?” Michael asked finally.

Squip raised an eyebrow at the expression, but answered anyway. “If you recall, my state of confusion during my initial time on Earth was due in part to inadequate data. The information we had gathered, and that I had been equipped with, was insufficient and in many cases outdated. But when my superiors reviewed the data I had collected during my stay, when compared to the previous standard, they found that it was far more informative and in-depth than anything we had gathered from the planet’s outer atmospheres previously.

“Because of this discovery, our reconnaissance teams were called back to the central hive and redistributed with new directives. If our intel on Earth was so archaic, how many more planets have we overlooked based on faulty information? Hence, my presence here.”

Michael stuck his hands in his hoodie pockets. “...And that means…?”  

Squip smiled, as though he’d been waiting for that question since he arrived. “Tell me, are you familiar with the concept of field research?”

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo yeah, Nimflora put this idea in my head, fed it, and it grew into this. We're really looking forward to this drabble series! More shall come, so stay tuned!


End file.
